Now everyone's Russian to see her

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Maria Sharapova takes a break during practice at Melbourne Park yesterday.Photo: John French

When Maria Sharapova won her second-round match at last year's
Australian Open, nobody really cared. The teenager's news
conference was attended by only a few reporters.

Yesterday, the Russian world No.4 was the centre of attention as
she took on three separate hitting partners in preparation for her
third Australian Open next week.

With 12 more months on the international circuit behind her, not
to mention a Wimbledon title and several film premieres, Sharapova
sharpened up on the best court of them all, Rod Laver Arena.

The withdrawal of reigning champion and former world No.1
Justine Henin-Hardenne, fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters and doubts
surrounding Serena Williams, Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati,
have created a big opportunity for the 17 year-old.

Russia has seven women in the world's top 15 and 14 in the top
100.

World No.3 Anastasia Myskina won last year's French Open and
Svetlana Kuznetsova claimed the US title, while Elena Dementieva,
Vera Zvonareva, Nadia Petrova and Elena Bovina are also among the
world's top-15 players.

Zvonareva traces Russia's current success back to former world
No.1 turned poker-player Yevgeny Kafelnikov and tennis player-model
Anna Kournikova.

"I think Kafelnikov and Kournikova did a lot for Russian tennis
because they were the first ones who involved lots of different
people into tennis," Zvonareva said yesterday. "They started to
make more tennis courts, there were more coaches interested in
taking players all the way.

"We can thank Kafelnikov and Kournikova because lots of kids and
parents were watching them and after (that), you got more
players."

The Open is the only tournament Sharapova will be seen at during
the Australian summer, with WTA age eligibility rules restricting
her to 22 events between her 17th and 18th birthdays.

Sharapova, who turns 18 on April 19, already has played 15 of
those tournaments.

Meanwhile, plenty of tickets remain for most sessions at the
two-week tournament, which begins at Melbourne Park on Monday.

And the Australian Open has signed a revised, more lucrative
deal with American Express. The company has been upgraded from an
on-court sponsor to partner-level sponsor.